Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-20
DR.. MGLYNN's INDICTMENT OF HIS
CHURCH

DR.. MGLYNN's INDICTMENT OF HIS
CHURCH.
The country has taken very little
"stock"-as the saying goes-in the politi-
cal and social views of DR.. McGlynn, as ex-
pressed upon the George platform. Nor
has il cared much about the disciplining
he has undergone for the refusing to obey
the mandate of church to which he had
sworn allegiance. When, however, DR..
MGIlynn, as he now does, steps forward
and arraigns the church of which he
was 50 recently a priest of prominence,
charging it with secret and open enmity
to sacred American institutions, and with
the design of dominating in American
politics such utterance will command
attention, and must call from some of the
intellects of the church explicit reply
And this is what the ex-priest has done
in a monograph in the North American
Rerielc under the title "The New Know
Nothingism and the Old" To specify, Nc
ofGlynn prefaces by sketch of the motives
the old Know-Nothing party. That organ
ization was made to resist the assumed hos
tility to the Roman Catholic Church to
American liberties and institutions. The
party held that churchmen were bound in
primary allegiance to the Pope, even to
taking up arms against the civil Govern
ment. These fears appear, in the present
light, tohave been ludicrously exaggerated
The proportion of foreign born and Catholics
to the American and mont Catholic stock, was
then much less than it is to-day. The
Catholics were then quick to disclaim the
designs attributed to them.
More than one distinguished churchman said
that If necessary they would themselves take up
vigor as If the invader were an ordinary foreign
enemy. Archbishop Hughes. to correct these
impressions. loved TO quote the example of the
Republic of Venice, waging vigorous war against
the soldiers OF the Pope. TO defend her interests
and her political rights while acknowledging
the authority of the Pope in spirituals, and
agreeing with him entirely in religion.
At that time there were not, as now, in
our great cities and in whole quarters of
the agricultural districts of great States,
vast agglomerations of men of one foreign
nationality, preserving almost entire their
manners, language and traditions and by
virtue OF their numbers, making even the
public schools in many places use foreign
tongue as the common vehicle of instruc-
ton, adds McGlynn, and he proceeds to
point out that then foreigners had no
thought Of perpetuating their tongues in
churches and schools, and make it for all
time the language of large portions of the
country. But now, he declares, German
ciericals cherish the hope of making GER
tain sections distinctively German, and
the ears of American boys, born of Ger
man parents, are boxed by the religious
teacher IN parochial schools in ST. Louis
for the heinous offense of speaking the
common language of America-the Eng
iish-and clerical Superintendent, re-
preaching an American boy Of German pa
rents for manliness and independence, can
find no better words TO do justice to his
reprobation than to say: "Du Dist Elm
Amerikaner." {" You are an American.")
"There is" he adds, a widespread and
persistent effort, with scarcely an effort to
conceal 1t, to Germanize the Catholic
Church in the Northwest"
He follows up this with the charge that
German Bishop went to Washington to
sound the Government on the question of
diplomatic relations with the Pope For
eign immigration has become SO great that
the spirit of foreign nationality makes no
concealment of contempt for Americans
and American manners and traditions. In
all this he sees some danger to the scheme
of speedy assimilation; and il, he says,
the wishes and designs avowed BY not
few foreign-born were really practicable
and likely to be realized, we might we'll
brand them with constructive treason
against our institutions and the best inter
ests OF our country" So he concludes that
if the OLD Known othings had what they
fancied to be cause for their nervous or
ganizstion and preaching, they would
have, according TO like reasoning, vastly
greater reason for alarm now He quotes
Professor Boysen and Mr. Powderly upon
the dangers of unrestricted immigration
and attempted dominance by the foreign
spirit.
HeexPreSses surprise that the complaint
against foreign encroachment is to-day so
mild. which thirty years ago with far less
cause was so strong, and is especially sur
prised az the indifference of Americans to
the attitude of the churches, and especially
of the Roman Catholic Church, towards our
government, laws, principles, traditions
and institutions. But things have been
happening in recent years, a 1.-THE of
which, generation ago, would have stirred
the country to white heat of anger"
Thus he cites the pastoral letter of Bishop
Gilmore Of Cleveland, which he denom-
<AstNSs 0CilutIdtt tliectS dpdluSt our
Declaration of Independence, and the jus
tifcation of it by Bishop Chatari of In
annapolis, when some Catholics remon-
trated, Chstard quoting from letter of
the Pope in defense. The new genera
ton of bishops invites address as .'lord
and lordship,' and archbishops that of
q his grace and "your grace" The
bishops, he alleges, obtrude their profess
sional rank upon the public by distinct
i've garh, and wear the imperial purple
about their necks, as did the first Christian
Emperors when they began the corruption
of the church. The bishops, he adds, force
the priests TO wear in public and private,
a professional badge, which led one old
American priest to say with bitterness. /
suppose the next thing will be that We